The present invention relates generally to the use in the treatment of an intracranial occlusion of radio-frequency pulsed high frequency electromagnetic energy to effectively stimulate the endothelial cells of the capillaries and cell membranes of the vascular wall to obviate insufficiency of arterial blood flow in the brain. Vascular obstruction or vascular rupture which can cause embolic, ischemic, or thrombotic stroke resulting in paralysis can thus be avoided.
It is known from medical literature that gradual mental deterioration, episodic weak or dizzy spells, or sudden complete hemiplegia may occur as a result of a variety of causes, and that occlusive complications account for many of these problems. In approximately one-third of cases, the occlusion is of the extracranial vessels and if not remedied is responsible for either the major stroke or, more frequently, the recurrent xe2x80x9clittle strokesxe2x80x9d or ischemic episodes. Surgery can be an available and effective remedy. However, in two-thirds of cases occlusions are intracranial and thus not usually amenable to surgical correction.
This invention is concerned with intracranial occlusions and proposes an effective nonsurgical remedy. Underlying the present invention is the recognition of certain physical factors involved in the activation of the fibrinolysin system. When, for instance, the activation is mediated by way of the neural pathways to the peripheral areas of the vascular system, an electrical factor is generated by the physical stress. This phenomenon of producing electron currents in living cells and tissue by physical stress can be explained by the effects of xe2x80x9cpiezoelectric resonancexe2x80x9d in the cell structure, that is, the characteristic which cells have of discharging electrons when exposed to pulsed stress on their membrane and intracellular macromolecular content. These electron currents, if induced by a pulsed electromagnetic field in the radio-frequency region, can result locally in the same physiochemical response as the pulsed neural stimulation.
More particularly, what is proposed is stimulation through the piezoelectric resonant effect of the vascular cell membranes and the macromolecular content of the thrombus formation that is, by radiation of radio-frequency pulsed high frequency electromagnetic energy. This is an athermic method of stimulating the endothelial cells of the capillaries and cell membranes of the vascular wall, which releases the activator of plasminogen and stimulates the activator molecular enzymes within the thrombus. This method of therapy can be administered without side effects or contraindications in all forms of strokes.